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Roger That!

sat17feb9:00 am5:00 pmRoger That!

Event Details

Roger That! Celebration at the Museum

Saturday, February 17

Join the GRPM for the public celebration of Roger That! on Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17. Visitors will learn more about Roger B. Chaffee and space exploration with hands-on, STEAM-based activities on Friday and Saturday, hosted by both the Museum and community partners including: build stations, underwater ROV exploration, artifact interactions including meteorite samples, tektite, and much more. Attendees can also participate in the opportunity to earn a prize for completing an “Astronaut Training Mission” as they visit different activity stations around the Museum.

Roger That! activities at the GRPM will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 16 and 10 a.m to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, and are included with general admission tickets to the Museum. Shows in the Chaffee Planetarium take place every hour on February 17 and are $4 per person or $2 for Museum members. For a full list of activities, Chaffee Planetarium show schedule and to purchase tickets, visit grpm.org/RogerThat.

2024 Keynote Speaker

To reserve a seat for the Saturday, February 17 lecture with Robert Satcher, please visit tickets.grpm.org/events. Tickets for the lecture are free of charge and seating is based on a first come, first served basis.

2024 Community Partners

Community partners for 2024 Roger That! include Gerald R. Ford International Airport, GVSU Padnos College of Engineering, GVSU Physics Department Enigma Robotics, GRAAA, Inquiry Arts, Mark Gleason Underwater ROV, Van Andel Institute for Education, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, WiM (Women In Manufacturing), Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center, and Girl Scouts of West Michigan.

Register for your class field trip today!


Design That! 2024

The Design That! Challenge, which allows students to produce projects reflecting space-related topics, is open to students in grades 4-8. The possible topics are Humans in Space, Communities in Space, Technology in Space and History of Space Exploration. Project options include building physical models, creating a webpage or writing a story. Students can either present their projects in person or create a short video (3-5 minutes) to share their work. In-person projects will be displayed at GVSU on Friday, February 16 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., and at GRPM on Saturday, February 17 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Museum Parking Ramp is Open!

During September and October 2025, parts of Front Street will be under construction by Consumers Energy. All access to the Museum Parking Ramp must come from Mt. Vernon Ave NW.

Parking directions. From Pearl Street, turn left onto Mt. Vernon avenue and then left again onto Front Street to find the Parking Ramp.

The GRPM is NOW OPEN

⚡ Electricity is back in the building! ⚡
 

The GRPM is open for guests today, July 28. While the Museum is open, the cafe will be closed.

We hope to see you here. Stay cool in the heat today, Grand Rapids!

An exhibit with the label ELECTRICITY in pink lights

Museum Parking Ramp Closed Saturday, July 26

The Museum Parking Ramp will be unavailable for use this Saturday due to the Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival taking place on Front Avenue. They will be painting 21 new beautiful murals to brighten up Downtown Grand Rapids.

Alternative FREE parking will still be available in the GVSU Mt. Vernon lot at 50 Front Ave SW. See the map below for directions on how to access the Mt. Vernon lot.

U.S. Service Members and Families Free This Weekend!

This weekend, the GRPM extends free admission to all U.S. service membersactive or retired—and their families.
 
See our new Veterans display, in partnership with the Michigan Heroes Museum, honoring West Michiganders who served the United States during World War II.
 

This offer includes those serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Commissioned Corps, along with up to five family members.

Ask our front desk upon arrival to redeem.

Early Closure Notice

The GRPM will be closing early at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14th, for Cabinet of Curiosities: Grand Slam!

This elevated spring fundraiser explores America’s favorite pastime through Grand Rapids history and celebrates the GRPM’s new exhibit, Play Ball! The World’s Largest Collection of Detroit Tigers Autographed Baseballs.

Planetarium & Cafe Closure Notice

The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium and the Museum Cafe will be closed from September 2nd – 5th.

Upcoming
Planetarium Closure Notice

The Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium will be closed June 8 through June 15 for the most significant systems upgrade made to our Planetarium in 10 years!

Come back after June 15 to see crisper, cleaner, and more vibrant visuals, and a system capable of showcasing parts of the universe we weren’t able to display before!

Closure Notice

The GRPM will be closed for Easter on Sunday, April 20. We will reopen on Monday, April 21 for normal hours. 

Extended! Become A GRPM Member, Earn $20 in Museum Promo Cash

Get $20 in Museum Promo Cash with the purchase of any membership now through Friday, December 6!

This promo cash can be used towards admission to the Museum, Planetarium tickets, unique local gifts at the Curiosity Shop, and food and beverages at the Museum Cafe.

Museum Promo Cash expires June 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Any unused balance will be forfeited after this date. This card is for promotional purposes only and is not redeemable for cash or Museum credit.

Become A GRPM Member, Earn $20 in Museum Promo Cash!

Get $20 in Museum Promo Cash with the purchase of any membership now through Tuesday, December 3! 

This promo cash can be used towards admission to the Museum, Planetarium tickets, unique local gifts at the Curiosity Shop, and food and beverages at the Museum Cafe.

Museum Promo Cash expires June 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Any unused balance will be forfeited after this date. This card is for promotional purposes only and is not redeemable for cash or Museum credit.

Closure Notice

The GRPM will be closed on Thursday, September 12, 2024 for an event. We will re-open on Friday, September 13, 2024 at 9 a.m. 

Late Opening Notice.

On Saturday, May 11, the Museum will open at 12 p.m. due to road closures for the Amway River Bank Run.

Early Closure Notice.

The Museum will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1 for Museum Adventure After Dark. Tickets are still available!